User blog:Carrieunderwoodfanforlife/Underwood Sells-out Nashville Arena
Carrie Underwood stopped in Nashville on September 22 - and she sold-out the iconic Bridgestone Arena. Nearly 15,000 fans showed up for Underwood's Storyteller Tour show, the latest in a string of sold-out performances for the country superstar. Underwood - who at one time called Nashville home after moving there following her American Idol victory in 2005 - is up for the CMA Entertainer of the Year title in November, and CMA voters were no doubt scoping out the concert to see what kind of show she puts on. The Grammy-winning singer put her full talent on display for the thousands to witness. From full-on country rockers like "Renegade Runaway", "Church Bells", and "Cowboy Casanova" to the traditional ode to Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", to the bluesy harmonica solo on "Choctaw County Affair", Underwood gave her all on the stage. She hasn't always been a favorite among those who prefer traditional country music, and some may still have issue with the loud, glitzy nature of her shows, but one thing everyone can agree on - Carrie Underwood knows how to keep a crowd's attention. Will it be enough to capture the CMA Entertainer trophy? It's difficult to say. At one point, the CMA named Taylor Swift an Entertainer of the Year - something quite shocking when you consider Swift is now the biggest name in pop music today. Swift's shows have always been as equally loud and extravagant as Underwood's - multiple costume changes, on-stage props and backdrops, laser light displays, professional dancers...reminiscent of Madonna or Janet Jackson. If the CMA was comfortable awarding a 'pop-leaning' headliner like Swift, would they have any issue handing it to a woman who, for the last 11 years, has never once set foot in the pop genre? There is, of course, Underwood's competition to consider. She's in the same category as Garth Brooks, a man whose name is synonymous with country music. But, if you go back and look at Brooks' shows - you'll see he is more than a man standing there with a guitar. His tours have also defied labels and genres, mixing the two worlds of country and pop, just as Shania Twain did, as Reba McEntire did, and as Keith Urban did. The point being - it is no longer acceptable to hold the award from Underwood because she is not "country enough." Watch a tour from the Dixie Chicks or Tim McGraw. Yes, 90 percent of their shows are country music - but there are at least elements that mimic pop artists of the time. This is something CMA voters will hopefully consider when casting their votes. Carrie Underwood may have arrived in Nashville through unconventional means - she won a talent competition - but she has done things to elevate country music and introduce it to people who may have never listened to a country station otherwise. She has successfully merged the gap between what is country and what is pop, yet stayed true to her rural upbringing, never losing her musical identity as a country artist. The same can be said for Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, and Kenny Chesney, and that is why Underwood deserves Entertainer this year. Category:Blog posts